Great! Keep testing if hoodies can cause any issues. I look forward to you results!

How many jumps, over how many years by how many individual jumpers does it take to complete the 'testing'? At what point can we sign them off as 'good to go'? 5 years? 10? 15? 10,000 jumps, 20,000 jumps, 50,000 jumps? 1000 jumpers? 2000 jumpers? 3000 jumpers?

I would suggest that we've reached (or exceeded) the all of those numbers without incident.

Here's a fun thought - how many test jumps do you think they put on the Skyhook system before they released it? More or less than the total number of trouble-free jumps with hoodies? That's a freaking HOOK in your reserve container, no less.

Here's a fun thought, stop getting so worked up when someone doesn't agree with you dave. You're not the king of skydiving and not everyone gives a shit what you think. It is possible whether you believe it or not.

Are you suggesting that there's nothing for them to worry about with stash bags, and that they should continue to carry them without concern?

I will say it:

If you have a logically placed stashbag pocket on your backpad (i.e. opening to your left side, far away from your PC, reverse if applicable for lefthand BOCs) and you fold/stow your stashbag in there properly, then you have nothing to worry about.

To add experience to this, given your lack of profile info I feel somewhat confident assuming I have more BASE jumps than you have skydives, so while I see the effect of your fingers flapping on your keyboard, I tend to afford it little in the way of credibility, as I do with most blank profiles.

To get back on hoodie topic, if you watched that video that was linked, you might realize that the reserve container usually has one or more topflaps that do a really good job of keeping evil hoodies away from your reserve system.

Is there ANY part of your gear that you believe is incapable of causing problems?

Seems like "Risk assessment" is an alien concept to some people in this thread. Its always possible anything you jump with could cause a problem under the right(wrong) circumstances, but if no one can point to a single incident of a hooded sweatshirt causing a problem, the risk associated with jumping with one is very low.

If you are really bored (or care enough to really find out how probable it is) why don't you TRY to induce one and see exactly how hard it is to INTENTIONALLY create a problem.

Is there ANY part of your gear that you believe is incapable of causing problems?

No. But most of it is essential to have, so you have to accept the risk that comes with it. Hoodies are not essential, so you do not have to accept that risk.

Booties aren't essential. Tell that to a 4 way team.Grippers aren't essential. Tell that to anyone doing RW.Wingsuits aren't essential. They are if you want to do a wingsuit jump?Cameras aren't essential. Unless you want video/stills?Audible altimeters aren't essential. Hmmm? Ok.Gloves aren't essential. Come jump next month in Minnesota.

Booties aren't essential in skydiving, and they pose more risk (more snag hazard.) But they are useful and are often used by 4 way teams to improve their scores. If 4-way teams all wore booties, but all tucked them out of the way before skydiving, then their use would be a lot more questionable - more risk for no improvement.

>Grippers aren't essential.

Grippers aren't essential in skydiving, and they pose more risk (more snag hazard.) But they are useful and are often used by 4 way teams to be able to do 4-way, and by bigways to help them to succeed. If RW people all used grippers, but tucked them out of the way before skydiving, then their use would be a lot more questionable - more risk for no improvement.

>Wingsuits aren't essential.

Wingsuits aren't essential in skydiving, and they pose a lot more risk (handle accessibility, collision hazards, restriction of motion etc.) But they are useful to people who want to do horizontal dives, and wingsuits help them do this. If wingsuiters all used wingsuits, but took them off and tied them around their waists before exiting, then their use would be a lot more questionable - more risk for no improvement.

That being said, if you want to jump with a hoodie (or a lot of jewelry, or very long unrestrained hair) go for it. It's more risk, but everyone can decide what level of risk they want to take for themselves.

Is there ANY part of your gear that you believe is incapable of causing problems?

No. But most of it is essential to have, so you have to accept the risk that comes with it. Hoodies are not essential, so you do not have to accept that risk.

Booties aren't essential. Tell that to a 4 way team.Grippers aren't essential. Tell that to anyone doing RW.Wingsuits aren't essential. They are if you want to do a wingsuit jump?Cameras aren't essential. Unless you want video/stills?Audible altimeters aren't essential. Hmmm? Ok.Gloves aren't essential. Come jump next month in Minnesota.

Nope. You can skydive without any item on that list. They just make things easier, more comfortable or more convenient. If booties and grippers were banned from 4 way, it would just revert to how it was in the olden days.

You're conveniently ignoring the difference between those items and hoodies: those items all provide benefits to the skydive, while a hoodie does not.

What benefit does a hoodie provide to your skydive? Does it make you track further? Does it give you fall rate control? Does it make your canopy open better? What?

Funny you should ask. It was much colder than expected today. So in freefall I pulled the hood on and tightened the strings to stop my head from burning. So after the first 2 jumps I started using the balaclava. Well it turns out its stretched out. How did I remedy this you may ask? Well I put the hood on first then the balaclava, and it kept my head nice and toasty so I could finish doing tandems today.

So yes a hoodie can be useful to somebody in freefall. Before you ask no I won't wear a hard helmet doing tandems. Why? 1. I struggle to hear my students when my helmet is on. 2. I have a metal gopro mount on the front, which could cause some serious damage to the back of the head of my student.